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Member Reviews

Thank You, NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to listen to this book.

I have read several Harlan Coben books and liked them a lot. But unfortunately this was a read that lacked the wow factor that would have made it feel like a Harlan Coben book. I don’t know, but it felt pretty ordinary to me—witty in places, but overall bland.

Still it is worth a one time read atleast.

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This was my first Harlen Coben book, and I found it a decent, fast paced thriller, although let down a bit by the ending.

Unfortunately I listened to the audiobook and I really was not a fan of the narrator.

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4.25 Stars 🌟

This is the second book in a series that introduced us to Sami Kierce, a former NYPD policeman who has washed out of the police department by making one too many mistakes. This book takes us back over 20 years to when Sami was a young teenager, celebrating his high school graduation with a back packing trip in Europe. Things happened on that trip that he thought were buried, but they come crashing back due to a chance sighting of a stranger he thought was dead.

That starts Sami down a crazy path, trying to bring back memories that he thought were long put away while the answers that he is finding are not quite making sense.

This was a very typical Coben book in the way that you are taken down a certain path, then in the middle of that path the story then veers off and doubles back in another direction to only stop near the end with a "TA-DA" moment that you were not expecting.

There are a couple of different storylines going on in this story and while they do not appear to be connected, you never know what to expect.

I listened to this ARC in audio format with the narration being done by Vikas Adam. While the narration wasn't awful, it wasn't my favorite. There are a couple of consistent narrators of Mr. Coben's books that I have come to really like (i.e. Scott Brick or Steven Weber), who do a much better job with important details like accents and different speaking styles matching the different characters. Like I said, he wasn't awful but.....

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio / Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read/listen to and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone. This book will be out for publication on March 25, 2025.

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Sami Kierce is a disgraced detective who now teaches wannabe detectives during his night classes. During one of his classes, he sees a face from his past. A face that has haunted him since we woke up next to her in Spain covered in blood with her body laying lifeless next to him. He believed he killed her in a drug induced haze, but now seeing her face he wonders if he was wrong. Sami chases after his ex lover, but she gets away. Now Sami must delve into his past and find the truth,

This was a fun listen. The plot was very engaging, and it defiantly has the feel of a classic Harlan Coben novel. There were a number of twist and turns, and Mr. Coben kept you guessing as to what the truth was. I really enjoyed the easter eggs inserted into the novel. For example, as the scene is set in a major city, one of the buildings referenced was Lockwood Towers, as in Win Lockwood from the Myron Bolitar series.

This is a novel worth picking up when it comes out on March 25th. It has a lot of suspense and twists that keep you engaged in the novel. You won't be disappointed. Thank you to Netgalley, Harlan Coven, and Hachette Audio for a free advanced reader's copy for an honest review.

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Once again Harlan Coben has hit it out of the ballpark with a novel that features Sami Kierce, a disgraced ex-policeman, who is trying to make ends meet and support his wife and infant son by teaching classes in criminology for would be amateur detectives. Even though Sami is no longer a detective his instincts and ability to analyze seemingly unrelated facts are still amazing. This is a novel of what ifs. There are so many ways that everything could have been different but as you are fed facts bit by bit you will perhaps understand why things happened as they did. It goes back to something that happened 20 years earlier when Sami was in Spain with college friends, and it also involves the murder of his fiancee 18 years earlier. Sami also appears in Coben’s previous novel Fool Me Once, but this is easily listened to as a stand alone.

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 Stars (Outstanding)
Setting: Spain; Ballston Spa, New York, in Saratoga County, New York
Genre: Psychological Thriller

Harlan Coben proves once again why he’s the master of the modern thriller with Nobody’s Fool, a pulse-pounding, mind-bending sequel to Fool Me Once that will leave readers breathless. With his signature blend of suspense, razor-sharp twists, and emotional depth, Coben crafts a story that hooks you from the very first page and refuses to let go.

Former detective Sami Kierce is a man haunted—by his past, by a crime he doesn’t remember committing, and by a woman who should be dead. The dual timeline—set in 2000 and 2025—adds a gripping complexity to the narrative, slowly unraveling the mystery of what really happened in that blood-soaked room in Spain. When Kierce sees Anna in his classroom, very much alive, the novel shifts into high gear. Is she real? A ghost? A trick of his guilt-ridden mind? Coben keeps the reader guessing, delivering one shocking revelation after another.

What makes Nobody’s Fool truly exceptional isn’t just its relentless pacing and jaw-dropping twists—it’s the depth of its protagonist. Kierce is flawed, broken, yet fiercely determined, making him one of Coben’s most compelling characters to date. His quest for truth is as much about redemption as it is about solving an impossible mystery, and that emotional weight elevates the novel beyond a standard thriller.

With its cinematic storytelling, whip-smart dialogue, and an ending that will leave you stunned, Nobody’s Fool is an absolute must-read. Whether you’re a longtime Coben fan or new to his work, this book is an electrifying ride from start to finish. Don’t start it unless you’re prepared to stay up all night turning the pages—you won’t be able to stop.#netgalley #nobodysfool #booked_this_weekend

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This was my first Harlan Coben book. It was fast paced and hard to put down but ultimately not that great. I feel like it was just what I was expecting though! I listened to the audiobook and the narrator's accents were not good! The Dutch accent was terrible and the English accent wasn't great either. But! Again I wasn't expecting much. It was a fun mystery. A LOT of repetition. Laughed out loud when he describes someone running while swinging their arms like a whacky inflatable tube man because no one runs like that and the image was just too funny.

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I love Harlan Coben, and this book did not disappoint! The second of his books about Detective Sami Kierce, it was dynamic and funny right from the start. After a long ago murder, Sami's past is back to haunt him, and the story that follows is a twisting, gripping read. The story is action packed, and keeps the reader engaged and questioning where the plot is heading, right until the end. Narration was fantastic, and portrayed the characters and story very well.

A highly recommended read, and I look forward to more in this series!

Thank you Netgalley, and the publisher, for the opportunity to read this ARC.

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I was excited for a new Coben novel, unfortunately, I couldn't get into this one at all. I really tried but it didn't feel like Coben, the plot was bland and the writing was not great. I couldn't continue on and had to DNF.

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I've been reading Harlan Coben for years, and I'm getting tired of him. The same tropes in every book. Someone dead might not be, the main character loves his woman and children like no one else, and the corny tough guy talk. This caused lots of eye rolling on my part which significantly interferes with my enjoyment of the story, which was okay. I did the ebook and audio version. The male narrator did an excellent job with female voices. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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That was A LOT 😅

Between both cases, all the characters, and all the twists and turns - this book is gonna hold your attention to find out what happens. Although I did predict a lot of it, I enjoyed the journey Sami went on to solve everything. Although there were bits that I did not expect and it had me shocked!!

I really felt for all the characters, there was a lot of heartache among them. I was worried how Sami’s tragedies/past might affect his investigation but he surprised me with how resilient and persistent he was!

I enjoyed the narration of this audiobook. The writing made for a more theatrical narration that helped build a picture in my mind of what was happening. As well as conveying all the emotions of each character. From sadness to trepidation to love, the narrator really helps to set the tone of the scene. You really get to know how Sami is feeling and what he’s thinking. From the love for his wife and son to his eagerness for the truth. The truth in which also gave Sami some needed closure.

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This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

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I listened to an advance copy of this audio book. I liked the narrator and the story was excellent, but that’s what we expect from Coben, right?

I loved the twists and turns all the way to the end. Everything is wrapped up satisfactorily, yet it was one heck of a ride.

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Fast paced-typical Coben style suspense novel. Here's the problem that I have with this book. It's 2nd in the a series but the previous book was published in 2016. I didn't read the book but watched the TV series and thought I would be able to read this book with that experience. It's so strange that the tv series is based in London or UK and this second book is based in NY city. Our main character sounds "young-ish" when he would be in his 40's? He has a lot of impulsive actions that confuse me at times. Overall, I have several Harlan Coben books but either my tastes in suspense novels have changed or Harlan Coben's writing isn't what I remember it used to be. This book wasn't my favorite.

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The first 20% of this book can be cut. Around 20-25% the story and hook finally arrive and then the book is interesting. Had I not had a great experience with this author many times before I would have quit.

Overall this was a steady but fast paced thriller that left me guessing; the confessional wt the end was disappointing. I expect more/better from a writer like HC eg showing over telling.

Note , I remembered nothing from book 1 and that didn’t seem to affect me here. A real standalone.

Lastly the side story about a former case and the man who killed Samis past flame which really didn’t need to be included ar all and was a real snooze fest

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Sami is Coben's best character. This was a fantastic audio book. I never thought I would give a 5 * to a churn em out kind of author, but here we are!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

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This was a solid 4-star listen from Coben. I enjoyed getting to continue the story of Detective Sami Kierce, and dig more into his history of alcoholism. At times there was a little too much going on, and it took a while to see the connections between the disjointed plots, but the story came together in the end.

The narrator's tone was quite different from the Kierce I had in my head from the first book, which made it hard to get used to, but overall the narration was good.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the opportunity to listen to this ALC in return for an honest review.

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What in the world?! Leave it to Harlen Coben. It was a good book with some good characters. Obviously some laughs. I like continuing Sami’s story. I didn’t remember much about him from the previous book, so it was nice to get his story. Quick read.

I was surprised by the narrator. I feel like there is a usual one for Coben books but he does a nice job and he was easy to listen to.

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Sam Kierce sees a girl whom he believes he murdered years ago in his class. He sets off to find out what happened to Anna all those years before. This is a good book. Full of suspense. Lots of good angles and stories here that all tie up nicely. This was my first Harlan Coben book. It was a great pick!

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Wow this book was great! It was twisty and suspenseful! I didn't see the end coming and then it all just kept coming! I finished it super fast. Definitely read if you like thriller/mysteries.

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